Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts Encourages Everyone to Get the Facts and Get Tested On National HIV Testing Day
For Immediate Release: Jan. 30, 2014
BOSTON—As part of National HIV Testing Day (June 27), Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts (PPLM) is urging women, men, and young people to take charge of their health by getting educated about the risks of HIV and scheduling an HIV test.
“HIV is a serious problem that affects us all. In fact, 1.2 million people in the United States are currently living with HIV, but one in five is unaware of it,” said Dianne Luby, President and CEO of PPLM. “African Americans and Latinos remain disproportionately affected by HIV. We should all take the time to encourage our friends and family to schedule the regular screenings they need to ensure they live longer, healthier, and happier lives.”
PPLM’s seven health centers across the state offer a wide variety of preventive health services, including testing for HIV and other STDs. They provided 5,900 HIV tests for men and women in 2011. Nationwide, Planned Parenthood health centers provided over 570,000 HIV tests for men and women in 2010.
“When used correctly and consistently, condoms are highly effective in preventing the transmission of HIV. They’re the only method of birth control that also prevents HIV infection,” said Luby. “At PPLM, we see firsthand that stopping the spread of HIV means knowing your status and protecting yourself, and we urge everyone to take these important steps.”
Following National HIV Testing Day, July 2012 has been designated National HIV Awareness Month, designed to reignite our national discourse on the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic with the goals of raising public awareness of HIV/AIDS, end HIV stigma and discrimination, and engage new stakeholders in the fight against the disease.
Planned Parenthood also offers online tools that can help you take charge of your health: visit The Check to figure out if you should get tested for HIV and other STDs, and visit www.pplm.org to find the health center nearest you.
As the region’s most trusted provider of women’s health care, PPLM offers quality, affordable health care at almost 50,000 patient visits per year.
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Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts is the largest freestanding reproductive health care provider in the state. For over 80 years PPLM has protected and promoted sexual and reproductive health and freedom of choice through clinical services, education and advocacy. For more information, visit www.pplm.org.
Source
Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts
Contact
Alicia Johnson
Media Relations Coordinator
(617) 515-0531
Published
June 27, 2012